Estate Prospect Hill Butler Bay

Prospect Hill/Butler Bay is estate 23 in St. Croix’s Northside A Quarter. Based on appearances on historic maps, the windmill was likely built in the late 18th century. The estate was likely named for the nearby bay & hill to the east. The windmill was incorporated into a dwelling & remains in good condition.

Prospect Hill/Butler Bay includes estate 23 and an unnumbered strip of land at the coastline to the west, a distinction that disappeared between the first and second Beck map printings. This area was settled in the French period and cotton cultivated by 1750 in the Danish period.

An animal mill depicted on the second Beck mill printing appears on all the maps based on this printing. The 1766 annotated map hand draws an animal mill close to the shore and in the southeast of estate 23. The c.1767 annotated Beck map had the printed animal mill and added a hand-drawn animal mill in the southeast corner of estate 23. Both of the manuscript copies of Beck include the two animal mills.

The 1799 Oxholm map and 1856 Parsons map both depict at windmill at Butlers Bay. The 20th-century topographic maps include an icon identifiable as a windmill at 110 feet elevation.

Ownership of this estate transitions across the Beck variants. The 1766 annotated map and both the manuscript copies attribute ownership to William Dalton. The 1767 and c.1767 annotated maps attribute ownership to Charls Dalÿ. Ownership transitions to John Hanson on the 1770 and c.1770 maps. The 1790 and 1791 maps do not attribute ownership.

McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p.44 & p.151) makes no mention of a windmill at Butler Bay and places Prospect Hill far to the east.

Photos of Prospect Hill Butler Bay, 2020s

Windmill tower in the background with newer dwelling buildings in the foreground.
Prospect Hill Butler Bay windmill exterior from the east featuring the machine slot. Notice the difference in finish between the highest several feet of the mill and all the rest of the mill below it.
Mill in the center of the image with other buildings going off to either side.
Prospect Hill Butler Bay windmill exterior from the west featuring the main entrance. The more recent parts of the dwelling go off to the right and left.
Arched main entrance looking out over the patio to the Caribbean Sea. Dark and partly blocked up arched bagasse opening to the right.
Prospect Hill Butler Bay windmill interior facing west featuring the main entrance, with the bagasse opening to the right.
Windmill tower surrounded by newer white buildings.
Prospect Hill Butler Bay windmill exterior from the southwest featuring the machine slot on the right side of the mill. The newer dwelling buildings abut the mill tower.
Narrow machine slot entry bordered by red plaster that in some places has flaked away.
Prospect Hill Butler Bay windmill exterior from the south featuring the machine slot. Note the red plaster around this opening to accentuate the appearance.
Blue skies seen through the narrow machine slot at a semicircle at the top of the mill.
Prospect Hill Butler Bay windmill interior facing south featuring the machine slot. Note the wood at the top inside of the opening to help absorb impact of any equipment touching the mill while moving it in or out of the mill.
Prospect Hill Butler Bay windmill exterior from the east featuring the window.
Windmill exterior through the window and looking across through the main entrance to the Caribbean Sea beyond.
Prospect Hill Butler Bay windmill exterior from the east with a close up of the window.
Close up of mill wall highlighting the building material, with fieldstone in the center and cut coral block lining the borders.
Prospect Hill Butler Bay windmill main entrance wall facing south. Notice the cut coral block used in the construction of the wall.
Three arched openings from the interior of the windmill.
Prospect Hill Butler Bay windmill interior facing northwest featuring the main entrance on the left, bagasse center, and juice trough opening to the right.
Circle of blue sky surrounded by the mill walls, with notches seen around the top that formerly held timbers that supported the ring on which the windmill's cap turned.
Prospect Hill Butler Bay windmill interior looking upward. The vertical slots at the top portion of the mill indicate the mill tower has not collapsed.

Historic Maps of Prospect Hill Butler Bay

Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map of 1982 featuring Northside A quarter estate # 23, currently named Prospect Hill Butler Bay.
The 1982 USGS topographic map shows ruins identifiable as a windmill at Butler Bay.
Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map of 1958 featuring Northside A quarter estate # 23, currently named Prospect Hill Butler Bay.
The 1958 USGS topographic map shows ruins identifiable as a windmill at Butler Bay.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 23, currently named Prospect Hill Butler Bay.
The 1920 USCGS topographic map shows the Butlers Bay Mill at an elevation of 110 feet.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 23, currently named Prospect Hill Butler Bay.
The 1907 map indicates a windmill at Butlers Bay.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 23, currently named Prospect Hill Butler Bay.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts a windmill and other structures to the north at Butlers Bay Estate.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 and the copy by Lang of 1820 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 23, currently named Prospect Hill Butler Bay.
Oxholm’s 1799 map and its 1820 revision show a windmill at the southern border of Butlers Bay with two structures in the distance to the northeast.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring Northside A quarter estate # 23, currently named Prospect Hill Butler Bay.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows a windmill at the southern border of Butlers Bay with two structures in the distance to the northeast.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 23, currently named Prospect Hill Butler Bay.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen, respectively, do not attribute ownership.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 23, currently named Prospect Hill Butler Bay.
Küffner’s 1767 manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts a settlement in the area of Prospect Hill/Butler Bay.
Snippets of the annotated Beck maps made in 1770 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 23, currently named Prospect Hill Butler Bay.
During the 1760s, what became estate Prospect Hill/Butler Bay in estate 23 and the area west of it was owned jointly with estate 33. The 1767 and c.1767 annotated Beck maps retain the animal mill between estate 23 and the coast from the second printing of the Beck map. Both of these maps attribute ownership to Charles Dalÿ.
Snippets of the annotated Beck maps made in 1767 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 23, currently named Prospect Hill Butler Bay.
During the 1760s, what became estate Prospect Hill/Butler Bay in estate 23 and the area west of it was owned jointly with estate 33. The 1770 and c.1770 annotated Beck maps retain the animal mill between estate 23 and the coast from the second printing of the Beck map. Both of these maps attribute ownership to John Hanson.
Snippets of the annotated Beck map plus the 2 manuscript copies made in 1766 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 23, currently named Prospect Hill Butler Bay.
During the 1760s, what became estate Prospect Hill/Butler Bay in estate 23 and the area west of it was owned jointly with estate 33. The 1766 manuscript map adds a hand-drawn animal mill between estate 23 and the coast to match the second printing of the Beck map and also includes a hand-drawn animal mill in estate 23. The two manuscript copies of Beck depicts animal mills in both locations. All of these maps attribute ownership to William Dalton.
Snippet of the 1754 Beck map featuring Northside A quarter estate # 23, currently named Prospect Hill Butler Bay.
The first printing of the Beck map shows no sugar machinery.
Snippet of the 1757 Beck map printing featuring Northside A quarter estate # 23, currently named Prospect Hill Butler Bay.
The second printing shows an animal mill. Notice how the line between the dotted line road and estate 23 was removed between printings.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 23, currently named Prospect Hill Butler Bay.
The 1750 map indicates cotton cultivation by the blue hating but makes no ownership attribution.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring Northside A Quarter estate # 23, currently named Prospect Hill Butler Bay.
During the French period, settlement indicated near Butler Bay is attributed to Granderie. The seaward features are named Pointe Rouge, or Red Point to the south and Anse a Galet, or Pebble Beach to the north.